Rare, collectible baseball found in box of donations at Goodwill

Two employees of a Goodwill Store in Blue Springs say they almost cried, they were so excited to find an old, scuffed baseball with signatures from famous of famous people associated with New York Yankees.

A quick analysis showed one of the people who signed the ball was Yogi Berra, one of the greatest catchers in the history of baseball. Berra was named to 18 All-Star teams, won 13 World Series championships with the Yankees and also won three American League MVP awards. The Hall of Famer died in 2015.

Also on the ball area signatures from former owner George Steinbrenner, who died in 2010. A third autograph is from Steve Balboni, a first baseman and power hitter who spent time with the Yankees and also with the Kansas City Royals.

"We do not know who donated (the ball)," said Jeanine Conrady, "It was given to us as a gift and so we do not know the story behind it."

Goodwill sent the ball to James Spence Authentication in New Jersey to make sure the autographs are genuine. They have the letter of authenticity. The ball has been placed up for auction online until 9 p.m. October 6.

"Items like this come up that are rare, that sometimes pop up, but this is something that's a new, exciting item for us," Conrady said.

The reserve price for the baseball is $300.

Goodwill also sells donated merchandise every day on its eCommerce site.